Kate Barrington / Cats.com
We’ve rated Identity Cat Food on ingredient quality, species-appropriateness, recalls, and more. Read our Identity cat food review to learn how this brand stacks up.
The Cats.com Standard—Rating Identity Cat Food on What Matters
We’ve rated the brand on six key criteria for quality. Here’s how it rates in each of these six crucial areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness – 9/10
- Ingredient Quality – 10/10
- Product Variety – 7/10
- Price – 5/10
- Customer Experience – 8/10
- Recall History – 9/10
Overall Score: 8/10
In total, we give Identity Cat food a 48 out of 60 rating or an A- grade.
About Identity Cat Food
Identity Pet Nutrition, LLC was created by Jeremy and Trevar Petersen. These two were the founding members of Wild Calling and Zoic pet food brands. They launched their own brand, Identity, in 2017 with the release of 16 canned pet foods made with sustainably and responsibly sourced ingredients.
When asked about the new brand, Jeremy Peterson said, “It’s our goal to be the leader in what we recognize as an emerging niche within the pet industry by developing a portfolio of responsible, sustainably-sourced, highly nutritious products offering comprehensive health and wellness benefits for companion pets and their owners.”
In addition to using traceable and sustainable ingredients, Identity operates under a transparent business strategy and claims to be committed to customer service.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Headquartered in Denver, CO, Identity Pet Nutrition, LLC uses both responsibly and sustainably sourced ingredients. The names of some recipes indicate where the primary ingredient comes from. For example, the Persona line uses European rabbit and North American bison or quail.
You can find information about sourcing for the 95% line on the company website. To give you a few examples, Identity sources their free-range beef, turkey, and pork from local farms. Identity uses lamb sourced from New Zealand, Canadian free-range duck, and salmon sustainably sourced from the Atlantic Ocean.
All of Identity’s cat foods are cooked in the can in the brand’s partner kitchens in Canada.
Recall History
To our knowledge, Identity has not had a product recall to date.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Identity Offer?
Identity offers a varied selection of pate-style canned cat foods. These products are divided between two product lines: 95% and Persona.
The 95% product line consists of eight recipes, all made with 95% animal protein and broth. Some flavors in this line include free-range turkey, free-range duck, and free-range lamb.
The Persona line contains three recipes, also made with significant inclusions of animal protein and broth. What sets these products apart is that they’re made with novel proteins including bison, rabbit, and quail.
What Do Customers Think of Identity Cat Food?
Because Identity is a fairly new brand with a limited selection of products, there aren’t many reviews of the company online. None of the three products available on Amazon have any customer ratings and Identity doesn’t post testimonials on their website.
With the limited number of reviews online, I wasn’t able to accurately judge the overall customer experience pet owners have with Identity cat foods. I did, however, find a thread about Identity cat food on TheCatSite.com.
Here are a few comments from users who have tried Identity:
“I have been hunting for a quality cat food. Found Identity. Worth the money: new line rabbit or quail 3-ounce cans. said it is the exact same formula as the dog food 6 ounce cans if you want to get a larger can but In not sure if it has taurine that cats need. Also has a quail with turkey formula. No weird things added in: no gums no seeds that cause toxic exposures or inflammation. It does have coconut oil in it.” – Jojo&Tutu reviewing on TheCatSite
“My picky eater wouldn’t touch this food sadly! Great ingredients and customer service though.” – Mizzely reviewing on TheCatSite
“My cats have tried Turkey and Quail flavors, but they didn’t like it. I mainly got them because I love the design of their cans 🙂 I didn’t see the rabbit flavor though, I would have certainly get it, they love anything rabbit. But I can see agar agar in the ingredient list on the photo? Agar agar causes lose stools in one of my cats if I feed it more than occasionally, just like carrageenan does. Also, I’d be worried that unlike other meats, the rabbit & broth consists only of 80%. The rest are veggies? That’s a lot.” – She’s a Witch reviewing on TheCatSite
What Did Our Test Cats Think?
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
My cats are big fans of wet food, and they don’t seem to mind the pate texture, though recipes in gravy are really their favorite. I appreciated the fact that all of Identity’s cat foods are made with a single source of animal protein, most of which are novel.
One of my cats, Biscuit, is allergic to chicken and may also be sensitive to turkey. I feed her a rabbit-based diet, so I was really glad to find that Identity had a rabbit recipe.
I purchased the sample variety pack in the small size which contains 11 cans, both the 5.5 ounce and the 3-ounce sizes. Included in this sample pack where all eight recipes in the 95% as well as all three recipes from the Persona line.
My cats were immediately interested when I opened the can (what cat doesn’t come running at the sound of a can opening?). They happily gobbled up the food – they were particularly fond of the more unique flavors like quail and they always love salmon.
The biggest issue with Identity cat food is the price. Ranging from $0.60 to over $1.00 per ounce, it’s simply not practical for most pet owners to use this brand as a staple diet. I will, however, gladly use the rest of the cat food I received as meal toppers.
Identity Cat Food – Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
Product Name | Food Type | Main Protein Source | Calories | Price | Our Grade |
Identity 95% Free-Range Heritage Turkey & Turkey Broth Pate Wet Cat Food | Wet | Turkey | 151 kcal per 5.5oz. can | $0.61 per oz | A |
Identity Persona 80% European Rabbit & Rabbit Broth Pate Wet Cat Food | Wet | Rabbit | 80 kcal per 3oz. can | $1.11 per oz | A- |
Identity 95% Sustainable Atlantic Salmon & Herring Pate Wet Cat Food | Wet | Salmon | 160 kcal per 5.5oz. can | $0.61 per oz | A |
How Much Does Identity Cat Food Cost?
Identity cat food from the 95% line is only sold in cases of 24 5.5-ounce cans for 77.99. Cases of Identity Persona cat food come in 24-packs as well, priced at $79.99 but the cans are only 3 ounces.
Identity also offers variety packs of 11 or 22 cans from both the 95% and Persona lines. The small variety pack sells for $39.99 and the large for $77.99.
Cat food in the 95% line contains an average of 140 calories per can, so it would cost you about $4.63 per day to feed a 10-pound cat. The Persona line is a little pricier – these recipes contain an average of 90 kcal per 3-ounce can. It would cost closer to $7.50 per day to feed a 10-pound cat.
Overall, Is Identity Cat Food a Good Choice?
Identity cat food is one of the best cat food brands we’ve reviewed in terms of quality. Their recipes are very species-appropriate, minus a few plant ingredients, and they’re all limited in ingredients. Most of them contain novel sources of protein as well.
Given the fact that Identity uses all sustainable and responsibly sourced ingredients – and the fact that all of their recipes in limited ingredient – it’s no surprise the food comes with a hefty price tag. If you’re able to afford it, it’s a high-quality choice. If it’s out of your price range, you could always consider using it as a food topper.
Identity is a particularly good choice for cats with food allergies. There are plenty of novel proteins to choose from, including some unconventional options like bison and quail. If you’ve run out of options for a finicky cat, Identity might be the perfect fit.
Where Is Identity Cat Food Sold?
The best place to buy Identity cat food is through the brand’s website. Here you can purchase individual recipes or buy a variety pack to sample products from both lines. You can make a one-time purchase or save 10% on your order by starting a subscription.
While Identity is based in Denver, CO, their products don’t seem to be available in local pet stores in Colorado. I tested a few other zip codes and found some local and independent pet stores in California, New York City, Seattle, and Chicago. You can also buy a limited selection of Identity cat foods on Amazon.
Hello Kate,
I buy Identity free range Canadian Duck for my 20 1/2 year old cat. If I hadn’t found this cat food my little Baxter would have been in bad shape. He gained little over half a pound within 6 months. He is healthier than ever and the vet still can’t believe it. At about 19 he was getting skinny and loosing some fur so I hunted for some good food and thank goodness I found it. He is now in wonderful shape and the vet says he could live a very long life and is in extremely good health. The Canadian duck food is why he is healthy and he just loves it. He used to be finicky. Its almost like he knows its good for him. I know it makes him happy he purrs he plays he is a different cat than before I fed him this food. I tried so many high end cat foods but nothing matches up to this Canadian duck. His blood work is perfect and the Doctor says Baxter is amazing. I feel like I found a gold mine. I love him so much and so happy he is doing great, I was worried there for a while I think he wasn’t getting his nutrients. Some times he eats the fish and seems to like them too. PS Thank you for all your writing. Jane
I’m so glad to hear that, Jane! Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.
I’m happy that I found my very picky eater identity wet cat food which she loves and especially love that it’s all sustainable and responsibly sourced ingredients.
Glad to hear it, Cara! All the best to you and your cat!
Food is NOT the same as it once was and drastically went downhill. The company will reply with the same copy and paste responses. My most recent shipments all smell and taste like peanut butter. My cats just throw up the food now. People are finding weird things in the food. my cats sodium spiked really high while eating it as well. When they first launched they were awesome. I wouldn’t suggest this brand at all.
Thanks for sharing this.
Not seeing the 20% off on my order.
Thank you for reporting that! It looks like the brand is now running a 20% off promotion for newsletter subscribers, so that may be something to try. In the meantime, we will correct the button on our review.
When I adopted my precious beautiful Piper she was overweight and lacked energy. She is happy, healthy, energetic, playful, and loves her outdoor walks. Thanks to identity and loves it. And I love that identity is sustainably and responsibly sourced❤️
I just spent over 400 dollars on 5 varieties. Got a case of each, because I have 7 cats, plus one feril one I feed outdoors. I wanted to move on past Fancy Feast, because of the artificial flavor that brand adds. “Identity” sounded great. Well, all 7 cats, and even the feril one that eats just about anything, didn’t like what I’ve tried so far. First I tried the Salmon variety. No go. 2 of the cats tried to bury it like it was in their litter box. Today I tried Quail. Some cats ate about a fifth of it and left the rest. I’m feeling pretty disappointed, for that kind of money. I still have to try the beef, chicken, and rabbit. I hope something good comes out of the huge price I paid.
Not defending this brand or anything here, but if you’ve been feeding FF it may be difficult for them to like any other healthier options because FF has so much additives for flavor. It’s like switching from junk food to organic vegetables…
Sorry for the late reply, M.D. Hope you found a recipe your cats enjoy!
I contacted the company to ask where the source of omega-3s are in their products? I see calcium iodate at the bottom of the ingredient list but was wondering how much (ppm)? I started my cats on this food to begin a food elimination diet. Many symptoms improved but not coat quality. Over time my cats refused to eat the food (I know cats can be picky). However, I was curious knowing iodine deficiencies and omega-3 deficiencies can lead to poor coat quality – if Identity really met these requirements?
Hello Kaylee! Those are great questions. We will consider including Identity in our lab testing process to confirm all nutrient levels, but for now, we can assume that the company adheres to established standards for nutritional adequacy and regulates that through routine testing. Hope this answers your question!
Hello! I was just looking at the dry matter analysis on this review and comparing it to what the company post on their page. The numbers are really different. Most important for me is the carbohydrate % (dry matter basis) I have a diabetic cat who just went into remission while eating Tiki Cat (succulent chicken) but we just discovered that she allergic to chicken and fish. I’ve been searching to find a food that has none of those ingredients plus, under 5%carbs on a dry matter basis. Looking at Identity’s Bbef pate ingredient list seems like it may be a good match (minus the carrots). Occording to the company’s analysis, the food (beef variety) is under 5%carbs on a dry matter basis. However, the canned varieties that were reviewed here have very different numbers than the company’s analysis. Just trying to figure out if I can trust the company’s nutritional info or not. Thanks for all the wonderful information on all your blogs! I have used it too many times to count lately!
Hi Nicole, I’m glad you’ve found the site helpful! We don’t always find out immediately when a company updates their formulas, so I’d go with the information on the brand website. You can always contact them with questions, as well. The Identity beef recipe looks like a great choice. There’s little reason to worry about carrots—cats can digest small amounts of plant matter and the total carbohydrate content appears to be very low.
I first purchased this for my 20-year-old cat to get her to eat. The other cats liked it also and used it for a year it seems that maybe they changed the recipes since now all 7 of my cats won’t eat it like they did. They won’t eat the turkey/quail, or the chicken. they will still eat the fish. I have gone back to smalls.